Revue Magazine: “Zlata Chochieva brings an intuitive and poetic touch to Chopin, Rachmaninoff”
It has been roughly 180 years since Frederic Chopin composed his
piano etudes. In proficient hands, these brief musical exercises sound
as fresh and poignant as the time when Chopin first created them. On the
fingertips of a fearless and imaginative master, they become individual
masterpieces in their own right.
Such was Zlata Chochieva’s entrancing performance as a part of the
Gilmore Keyboard Festival 2017-2018 Rising Stars Series on Sunday
afternoon. Relatively new to U.S. audiences, the Moscow-born artist
demonstrated formidable command of technique and poetic prowess as her
music-making unfolded organically and sublimely during the sold-out
concert.
(…) With a narrative touch and sensitivity to musical phrasing, she
extracted the poetry and unearthed the emotional depths of each study.
Her creative use of pacing allowed every note to sing, and her relaxed
approach to daunting passages transformed every chromatic octave and
rapid arpeggio into a delicate wisp of sound.
Sergei Rachmaninoff is a favorite composer of Chochieva’s, and her
performance of his “Variations on a Theme of Chopin” — in which the
Russian giant rewrote Chopin’s Prelude in C minor 22 different ways —
conveyed her reverence. From moodiness to luminousness, from tenderness
to sheer power, Chochieva delivered what the music demanded with a turn
of her own ingenuity. Many interpretations of the work dwell on the
sulky side, but Chochieva’s take was one of pure elegance. Her sixth
variation was presented with a hushed, Romantic style, and while her
tenth variation did convey storminess, she added contrast with a
mischievous touch.
Another common critique of the piece is that it often feels
incoherent and rambling, but in Chochieva’s hands it never felt
prolonged or dubious. She adroitly made the main theme clear throughout,
and focused on the inherent character of each variation until they
escalated into a thrilling and sonorous maelstrom of a finale. After an
ardent standing ovation, Chochieva played Nikolai Medtner’s “Canzona
Serenata,” an obscure piece to which several members of the audience
were happily introduced.
As validated by Sunday’s performance, the 32-year-old possesses a
musical maturity that surpasses many of her peers. Chochieva’s lack of
hesitancy in the face of assumed expectations is refreshing, as is her
commitment to unveiling the beauty behind every note.”
Samara Napolitan